\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p><\/div> \n\tThe agency is one of the largest in the music business, with a roster also featuring Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Childish Gambino, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, Phish, Raye, SZA, Joni Mitchell, Janelle Monae, Geese and frontman Cameron Winter, Tyler, the Creator, Wednesday and hundreds of others. Wasserman\u2019s artist roster was taken down from its website at some point over the last couple of days, presumably in response to artists\u2019 requests for their names to be removed.<\/p>\n \n\tHowever, the situation is more complicated for agents, who typically are bound by contracts spanning three to five years, whereas the artists are not. Complicating the situation further, artists often tend to be more loyal to their agents than agencies, and many follow their agents from one company to another over years. Similarly, agents often travel together from one company to another, sometimes over decades.<\/p>\n \n\tThe situation was said to reach a \u201cfever pitch\u201d over the weekend, one source says, and has only accelerated from there. The executives, who include such veteran agents as Marty Diamond, Duffy McSwiggin and others, are said to be rallying together in an effort to maintain a unified company in some form. Sources say that several offers have been made for the company, along with the possibility for the executives to buy the division themselves, although it is unclear how serious or realistic any of the proposals are.<\/p>\n \n\tRepresentatives for Wasserman and many of the above artists either declined or did not respond to Variety<\/em>\u2019s requests for comment. News of the impending ultimatum was first reported by the Wrap late Sunday, although rumors had been circulating since the latest batch of Epstein documents was released.<\/p>\n \n\tIn a social media post Monday, the band Wednesday wrote,<\/a> \u201cLast week we were among the hundreds of artists who were aghast to find out about Casey Wasserman\u2019s communications with Ghislaine Maxwell,\u201d it reads in part. \u201cIt\u2019s also important that we acknowledge the team of people we work with at the Wasserman agency as decent and trustworthy people with whom we\u2019ve worked several years dating back to a time prior to their connection with Wasserman.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe agency was formed in 2021 after a number of agents and artists parted ways with Paradigm, and Wasserman merged that company with his existing sports division. That sports division is not said to be at a similar crisis point.<\/p>\n \n\tOn balance, Wasserman is not currently connected to any of Epstein\u2019s crimes or misconduct and is documented as riding on Epstein\u2019s private jet once (on a 2002 humanitarian trip with a Clinton Foundation delegation), and exchanging raunchy emails with Maxwell while he was married, years before the crimes became public. He has apologized for the connection, saying he was \u201cterribly sorry for having any association with either of them.\u201d He is also the head of several charities.<\/p>\n \n\tHowever, it is the second such scandal in 18 months for Wasserman. In July of 2024 \u2014 ironically, during the Paris Olympics \u2014 a damning report emerged in which Wasserman, grandson of the vaunted Hollywood dealmaker Lew Wasserman, was accused of having \u201cserial\u201d affairs with junior employees <\/a>over many years. These reported indiscretions \u2014 on which Wasserman did not comment \u2014 caused a stir at the time but seemed to fade as weeks went by. Billie Eilish\u2019s departure from the agency was perceived to be connected to the report, although multiple sources tell Variety<\/em> she was already leaving when it emerged.<\/p>\n \n\tComing so soon after the previous allegations, optics \u2014 particularly for a company named after its founder \u2014\u00a0can matter more than facts.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAs an artist represented by Wasserman, I did not consent to having my name or my career tied to someone with this kind of association to exploitation,\u201d Cosentino wrote. \u201cStaying quiet isn\u2019t something I can do in good conscience \u2014 especially in a moment when men in power are so often protected, excused, or allowed to move on without consequence. Pretending this isn\u2019t a big deal is not an option for me.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tVariety<\/em> will have more on the situation as it develops.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n